Internal wall Removal

[Footsoldier888]

The thing is when the surveyor comes round the first question they ask you is 'have you altered the building during your ownership'. So if your buyer has a Homebuyer survey it will get picked up.

I would be wary about trying to avoid resolving it myself as I think you are more likely to face a reduced offer than a call for an indemnity. Just my 2c.

 

[^woody^]

Say you've lost the papers, the builder did it all, play dumb and wait until the buyers solicitors demand a £150 indemnity then agree to it. Cheaper than regularisation too.

The thing with indemnity policies, from the buyers point of view its OK for a planning issue, but for potential structural issues it's not merely the fact of whether it has permission, but whether it is actually safe and been done correctly.

I would advise a buyer to be sure that structural work is actually safe and not rely soley on any policy that only protects against enforcement.

The OP has images, it looks like a substantial beam and a relatively small span, so getting regularisation may not be a problem and may not require opening up anything - it may be just a paper exercise.

There is risk either way.

 

[ToastyToes]

Exactly the same happened to us when we were buying our house.

In the end we refused to exchange until we had the council sign it off. I didn't want issues in the future when I went to sell the house or with insurances.

Oddly, the council had the plans and noted the inspector visited the property 20 years ago but no actual sign off.

None the less it was signed off and we exchanged.

 

[Wordupdowg]

Word,
Agree 100% with Garo - "Say you've lost the papers, the builder did it all, play dumb and wait until the buyers solicitors demand a £150 indemnity then agree to it".

But note that my understanding is that if you start making an application with Council now, you cannot then take out an Indemnity (because Indemnity providers will say, 'hang on, you know you have a problem, so you cannot now insure for a possible problem when you know their is a problem'.

So as Garo said, do nothing, go for indemnity, and if that refused by buyer, only then consider application with Council.
SFK

I’m good at acting dumb!

Much appreciated for all this and hopefully it doesn’t get flagged and should be all good.

Thanks again.

 

[noseall]

If they have no record that implies that the builder home owner did not make an application.

I've corrected that for you Woods. No charge.

 

[^woody^]

The OP said the builder has done it. Obviously not. Can't trust 'em.

 

[lt8480]

Technically the building control notice is the home owners responsibility, of course in practice people ask someone else to do the work and would expect them to advise this needs to be done and usually offer to do it for some money.

 

[noseall]

Technically the building control notice is the home owners responsibility, of course in practice people ask someone else to do the work

Both points are correct but completely separate.

Unless there is prior instruction from the homeowner, then it is up to the homeowner to apply for B'regs approval. However, I agree that it is a builders' professional duty to advise customers of the relevance of BC approval.